OVERLOOKED trap shooter Penny Smith is vowing to push the disappointment of her Commonwealth Games non-selection aside to be a role model for her sport.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shooting Australia opted against picking Smith on the two-member women’s team despite the Bookaar-based athlete being ranked second in qualifying points.
“We all have setbacks in life and you just ride the waves,” Smith said.
“You can throw in the towel if you want but that’s not being a good sportsperson.
“I like to be a role model for shooting and I like to have people look up to me in my sport and be an ambassador for my sport so I think walking away is not achieving anything. I may as well cop it on the chin and keep going forward.”
Laetisha Scanlan and Rio Olympic Games gold medallist Catherine Skinner will represent Australia on the Gold Coast in April.
“Shooting Australia hold the right to choose who they want to pick,” Smith said.
“The first person in the team was whoever finished first and the second person in the team was at their discretion of who they wanted to send. I finished second on points but they opted to take Catherine over me.
“Personally it’s pretty disappointing but it’s in the past now. I put it behind me, I re-group, I re-fresh and work harder than I have before I guess to not have the same situation happen for 2020 for the Olympic Games.
”I respect their decision but I still walk away knowing I did everything I could and I hold my head high.”
Smith said she had a hectic 2018 schedule and was determined to perform well on the national and international stages.
“I know that we have our national championships next week, so I want to be focusing on that for a good performance there and hopefully I get a few world cups later in the year,” she said.
“I was fortunate to qualify for the Down the Line world titles in Wagga in March too.”